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The Senate Agriculture Committee approved its version of the 2018 Farm Bill sending the bill to the Senate floor.

The Senate’s version of the five-year bill omits work-requirement changes to the nation’s food stamp program that were included in the House’s failed farm bill. Colorado Senator Michael Bennet is on the committee and said the bill is a reminder of what bipartisanship can achieve,” adding that the bill is the result of collaboration between the Ag Committee’s chairman, Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, and ranking member Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Senator Bennet also supported provisions that would legalize hemp as an agricultural commodity, allow energy storage technologies to be eligible for funding from the Department of Agriculture’s, provide federal grants for rural broadband, and reauthorize a “farm and ranch stress assistance” program that assists states including Colorado with helplines and suicide prevention training. Majority leader Mitch McConnell said the farm bill will be debated in the senate before the 4th of July